June 30, 2019. Eureka Springs, AR. It's Just a Prop

As we "raise the curtain" at the start of the Passion Play for each of the 80+ performances of the season, we depend on a lot of people, props, technical excellence and prior experience to make sure each performance is the best we are capable of. Sometimes it goes off without a hitch, while other times we are forced to improvise, cover for people in the wrong place, props which are not pre-positioned in the right location, or a host of other "bloopers".
But ultimately the sound track is unforgiving and doesn't stop for us to "do it right". We make note of the problem, cover the goof, continue on and try to do it correctly the next time. The audience may never know something went wrong but we do, and mostly sluff off the goof, chalk it up to "it's just a prop", no harm done, and add it to the growing list of stories to be told, fun things to remember and maybe even laugh about later. When you realize how much has to go right to make a perfect performance, we are pretty satisfied when we "lower the curtain", watch Jesus ascending into the night sky and hear the Hallelujah Chorus playing, watch the audience filing out of the amphitheater and get out of costume and head for home.
Another day done.......one day closer to our final "reward"......and rising the next day to do it all again. It's not always easy, and often very tiring physically and emotionally, but it is a joy to be called to serve The Lord as we do; and most of us feel blessed to have received that call. Thank You, Lord, for everything........including the props.

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June 27, 2019. Eureka Springs, AR. Happy 20th

Twenty years ago, this date, I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. It took 40 years for me to complete the journey from Judaism to becoming a Christ-follower. The journey since then has led Karen and me through a wide range of experiences, opportunities to serve Him and, yet, we feel there is still much to be done before the journey is fully completed.
With all that has gone before, we look forward expectantly to what is in store for us, resting on His promises and the hope that the best is still to come. THANK YOU........THANK YOU, LORD.

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June 24, 2019. Eureka Springs, AR. Over The Hill

When Karen and I came to The Great Passion Play in 2014 to spend what we thought would be a couple of months, (at the most), to volunteer, we never imagined those few months would stretch into more than five years. When we returned here in February, 2018 after a short "rest" in Deep East Texas, I would never have imagined we would not put even a single mile on the RV's odometer in the next 16 months.
We came to the top of Magnetic Mountain and have not really gotten off the hill, while we are advancing age-wise pretty far over the hill. In our 70's we are on the downward slope of life, but both feel we still have something in our future which will take us beyond this "hill" to another one God has destined for us to climb as we serve Him and work to advance and expand His Kingdom. We seem to be on a plateau, trying to change some aspects of our life while still seeking God's direction for the life we have committed to Him.
As a I started reading the book of Job today on my annual journey thru the Bible, and as I approach the 20th anniversary of my being "Born Again", I pray that we will continue to trust God's plan for our life, that we will feel His presence and control of every aspect of our life, and that our friends and family will also pray for as we pray for them.......His will be done, His Kingdom come today and every day, and His grace and mercy, provision and protection be a continuing influence on us all. Thank You, Lord, for the call You place on each of us.



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June 21, 2019. Eureka Springs, AR. It Was So Hot.........

......How hot was it? Well, it was the hottest day of the season. High of 90 and a feels-like of 96. Nowhere near as hot as last year, but it came so suddenly, it threw many of us for a loop. Last year we were hot and humid from early May, going directly from Winter to Summer and no Spring. This year we had a gorgeous long Spring and it took to the official first day of Summer (today) to really experience Summer for the first time. We had a forecast of rain all week, but had little, most of it passing us by and hitting eastern Missouri and adding to the flood conditions along the Mississippi River.
Weather has been a major news item this year, with many parts of the country experiencing severe conditions. But, we have avoided most of it. Not much we can do but listen to the predictions, watch the radar maps and hunker down or be prepared to move to a more hunkered-down structure. Hard to plan our work week, predict what our crowds will look like, or know what to wear to be most comfortable. Not much different from what we have had to face for our whole stay here in Arkansas.......our years in Colorado.....or our growing-up years wherever we were growing up. Some things never change......
.......and God's protection, provision and care and compassion for us are at the top of that list. Thank You, Lord.



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June 18, 2019. Eureka Springs, AR. Shortest

"Jesus Wept". The shortest verse in the KJV Bible (John 11:35)

James 1:19 (NIV) - "My dear brothers take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry".

My shortest blog post............say no more.

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June 15, 2019. Eureka Springs, AR. Uncle Ant

I've been blogging for over five years. The subject matter has run the gamut from downright serious to downright silly. I've enjoyed sitting down every third day, or so, and letting words just flow from "pen to paper". A couple of days ago, as I was enjoying the petting zoo animals and later chasing down carpenter ants in the motor home, the thought crossed my mind about what animals feel when they interact with us and with each other.
I know this is not one of the most earth shattering topics to think about or write about, but I was trying to determine what animals or even critters think when good things happen to them or they suffer the loss of a "family" member. I see a ewe doting on her newborn lamb, a new born donkey following her mother and "breast feeding" for its nutrition. I watch our camels cavorting in their pen, trying to rid themselves of flies and other nuisances and I think of those pesky carpenter ants attracted to a speck of food on a plate in our kitchen sink and scattering in different directions when I do my best to swat them into submission. What are their thoughts? Do they feel pain or have emotions and are there family members who wait for them to come home and grieve for them when they don't?
Our household pets seem to respond with almost human emotions, but what about those critters which we consider pests and worthy of annihilation? Does the ant community miss Uncle Ant or is Father Fly mourned by the fly family when I prevent them from returning to where they came from? Is this something I should pursue with scientific-type research or do I just have too much free time on my hands?
Obviously, we have enough workers in the Holy Land, not very many guests needing attention on the Passion Play grounds and no one calling me on the radio or cell phone. But, I do need to get out of my comfortable recliner, put a wrap of this post or risk sleeping through the call time for the evening performance.



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June 12, 2019. Eureka Springs, AR. Making the Best of a Not-So-Good Situation

Sometimes life doesn't hand us a fair reward for our efforts. Sometimes our best efforts get us raked over the coals, thrown under the bus or harshly criticized. Sometimes we have to sit the bench when we are capable of all-star status. Sometimes life just isn't fair.
But, just as often there are those times when we mess up big time and still win the race. How often do we reap the rewards for work someone else has done? And, aren't there times when we know we have been blessed when we really deserve to be condemned? Sometimes we reap where we have not sown and deprive someone else of their just reward.
Today was a gorgeous weather day after a rainy morning and little chance to do much other than clean up piles of disorganized stuff all over the motor home. This afternoon, I wasn't in the mood for leading a Holy Land Tour, but I had a good time, anyway, with super nice people, then came home to a quiet dinner and a chance to enjoy my favorite diversion, Blue Bloods, while sewing some "crosses" to replace the ones I gave to my tour group. And then I turned off the Blue Blood marathon of episodes which is shown on ION television every Wednesday, and started this blog post. I'll return to Blue Bloods in a while.
The past few days have had me experience all of the above situations, experience almost perfect weather and have a peace and calm which belies the reality that the past few days have not been all that good, but they have turned out to be great. It doesn't make sense, but it tells me that God has all of this figured out. He has my life in His hands and I am blessed. He has Karen's life in His hands, too, and He is guiding her through the challenges she is facing, and she is blessed.
And for all this, I am grateful........THANK YOU, LORD.

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June 9, 2019. Eureka Springs, AR. The End of the Story from June 6

The rain did come as forecast, but it really wasn't that bad. The bark was worse than the bite. Most of the guests heard the bark and pretty much went away. But some did remain. The decision was made to cancel the Play for the evening and we proceeded to take a few of our pre-show presentations indoors for those who did stay. Bob the Sculptor told his prodigal son story while sculpting a bust of Jesus. David the Shepherd (Kent) gave his shepherd-sling/Goliath presentation and I took a group of guests from Shreveport, Louisiana who had come just to see the Play, to Moses' Tabernacle in the Wilderness and gave them an Old Testament teaching, blew the Shofar and had a pleasant time with no rain to interfere with our time together. The lights inside the Holy Place and Holy of Holies are something special when we do a Tabernacle teaching after the sun has set.
It's a two-way street when a performance is cancelled. Our guests may have the option to come back the next day, but many do not. We as members of the cast have made plans to do our roles in the Play and a cancellation interferes with that routine. Sometimes we can use the "time off" to get some extra rest, but many times it's better to keep active, particularly when we can give something to people who have come a long way to experience what we do here at TGPP. Yes, I was tired Thursday night, but it felt good to give "something"to those who had come to receive "something". I'm glad Bob, Kent and I were able to serve them that night. I hope they were blessed.........I know, I was.
Plan B worked well, (as it did one other time earlier this season) and it may become a standard part of the routine should inclement weather cause us to cancel a performance in the future. We have been called to serve. It's only right and proper that we do so. Praise You, Lord.



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June 6, 2019. Eureka Springs, AR. Surrounded

The radar map looks ominous and the weather forecast is not too encouraging either. The map has patches of precipitation all around us and, strangely, is moving from southeast to northwest. Our skies are grey, there are rumbles of thunder in the distance and the small crowd of people who were here for the activities of the day, seem to be absent now. There is not even one car in Parking Lot B.
It has not rained a drop since a few sprinkles at 8 this morning, people were carrying umbrellas and had rain gear at the ready all day, but it has been a false alarm. Right now the local forecast calls for rain to start in 22 minutes and last until just after 7, then nothing more until thunderstorms at 11pm, and 1, 3, 7, 8 and 11am. Nice window for the Play to be presented this evening, but we'll have to wait for a decision within the next hour. Another look at the radar shows us in a clearing, but a lot of green and yellow still swirling around us. We may escape, but, then again, we may not. It is eerily still.........we'll find out soon......rain in 7 minutes.........

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June 3, 2019. Eureka Springs, AR. The Eye of the Storm

Each day seems to get more hectic, less time to get away from the work needing to be done, and less opportunity to get the rest needed to face the next day. Yesterday should have been a relaxing day, and it was, but the relaxing was being with people and thus left little time to do my alone things, like writing my blog posting....thus the picture instead of words.
Right now, it's like being in the eye of the storm......it is raining, but there is a calm moment to write a few words. The hectic pace of the day has subsided, the storm raged, but now it is calm with the hectic pace expected to return in the morning with a big crowd anticipated first thing in the morning and who-knows-what thereafter. Some people make reservations before hand, while others just come unannounced.....and both need to be accommodated. It's one of the "hazards" of the work we do at the Passion Play, the entertainment aspect of our ministry and the spontaneous ministry work we do as we serve God and the people He brings to us.
It's not always easy and we sometimes face situations which test us, test our patience and take us beyond what we are capable of doing, but we always have three pillars of strength to lean on and see us through the storm........into the calm of the eye.......and better prepared to enter the storm again as it returns. The three pillars.........The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit.
Thank You.....Thank You.....Thank You.

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Newest Addition to the Passion Play Family